Bhubaneswar: A day after quitting the ruling BJD, Athamallik MLA Ramesh Chandra Sai joined the BJP in Odisha on Friday.

Sai had resigned from the Naveen Patnaik-led party on Thursday after he was denied ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Sai joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Athamallik today.

Notably, Sai had won the 2019 Assembly elections in the state on a BJD ticket from Athamallik constituency in Angul district.

However, the ruling party denied him a ticket for the 2024 Assembly polls in Odisha.

The party has picked Nalini Kant Pradhan, a former Public Works department secretary, as its candidate from Athamallik seat. Pradhan had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Sambalpur constituency in Odisha.

“I was elected from Athamallik in 2019 after winning by a record 47,000 votes. For personal reasons, I am unable to continue in the party,” said Sai in his resignation letter to BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.